


and worth dying for too

by Ahria



Category: Galileo (TV Japan)
Genre: Angst, Community: pyoid, F/M, Gun Violence, Injury, LiveJournal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-21 03:22:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/895195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahria/pseuds/Ahria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It doesn't happen like it does in the movies- Kaoru's life doesn't flash before her eyes, no sense of calm acceptance washes over her and no amazingly intricate plan pops into her head. Instead there's just terror, shaky hands and the absolute certainty she won't be able to reach her weapon in time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and worth dying for too

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Without a Flame](https://archiveofourown.org/works/162728) by [VesperRegina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VesperRegina/pseuds/VesperRegina). 



> Prompt: but you think I might lie to you about dying.

> I’m bleeding, I’m not just making conversation.  
>  There’s smashed glass glittering everywhere like stars. It’s a Western,   
>  Henry. It’s a downright shoot-em-up. We’ve made a graveyard   
>      out of the bone white afternoon. -"Wishbone", Richard Siken

It doesn't happen like it does in the movies- Kaoru's life doesn't flash before her eyes, no sense of calm acceptance washes over her and no amazingly intricate plan pops into her head. Instead there's just terror, shaky hands and the absolute certainty she won't be able to reach her weapon in time.  Panic wraps tightly around her throat and she can't move, can't turn to Yukawa for strength or reassurance.  The gun takes up her entire world view.

Yukawa, silent and tense at her side, calculates distance and rate of motion.  He sets his weight on the balls of his feet, leans slightly forward.  Kaoru has the weapon and the training to use it, so their joint chances of survival are higher if she remains uninjured.  It's not the time to acknowledge that this fact is an addendum rather than the driving force behind his plan. 

"Don't make this worse for yourself." She orders, all false bravado. "Cooperation will go a long way with the judge."  
  
The man laughs, hand tightening around the gun as he waves it back and forth between the two of them.  
  
"I killed three people. Can't really get much worse."  
  
The barrel settles in her direction and she doesn't blink. Kaoru lets anger pour through her, feeds it so it burns away the fear.  
  
"You're a coward." She tells him, raises her chin and stares him right in the eyes.   
  
There's a blur of motion, an explosion of sound, Yukawa's body colliding with her own. She reaches for her gun as soon as she lands, fires before she can even process the weight of this moment- two times, center mass. The man crumples to the ground.   
  
Yukawa is lying next to her, body still.  
  
"Professor." She says, shoving the gun away as she grabs at his shoulder. His eyes flutter open as she rolls him onto his back. There's blood gushing out of his left side, smears hot and wet across her palms as she slides her hands underneath his back to check for an exit wound.   
  
Finding none, she struggles out of her jacket, ignores her shaking hands as she folds it and presses it against his side. He groans as she rolls him over, letting the weight of his body put pressure against the wound.  
  
"Look at me." She demands, moving over to his line of sight as she pulls out her phone. "Keep your eyes open." His blood smears across the keys as she dials.  
Kaoru barks information into the phone, barely pauses to listen before letting it drop to the ground without bothering to hang up.  
  
"Help is on the way." She says, wrapping her fingers around his hand.  He dips his chin in acknowledgement, grits his teeth against the effort. 

None of this seems real.  Even the vicious red stain on her hands can't seem to convince her.  He should be back at his lab, doing experiments she doesn't understand.  How could she have brought him along, involved him in this?  She's the professional here- it should be her pain and her blood and her life seeping away into the dirt.

"I'm the cop." she growls at him.  He blinks sluggishly as he tries to focus on her face. "You shouldn't have done this."   
  
"Illogical." Yukawa agrees with the ghost of a smile.    
  
"Stupid." She corrects, grip turning from comforting to desperate.  "You're going to be fine."

His fingers tighten around hers and his lips are moving but she can't hear his voice.  She tries to follow their motions, makes out words like "blood" and "liar" and maybe even her given name.    
  
"I wasn't asking for your opinion." Kaoru snaps and presses hard against him. She'll hold this soul in his body through her will and her own bare hands. "I don't want you to die."  
  
"Sorry." he manages. His voice is a whisper and the sirens, as distant as they are, almost drown out the sound.

**Author's Note:**

> My biggest thanks to VesperRegina, again, for her awesome beta powers. I'd also like to note that this was partially inspired by her story, "Without a Flame". It's one of my favorites and I've always wanted to write an inverse of that story.
> 
> The title is another line from the poem "Wishbone" by Richard Siken.


End file.
